College Daze: Freshman Year
by zorrodude84
Summary: Sonic and the Gang are headed for college. Not your everyday Sonic School Fic! (No Sonic Comic characters. Sorry!)
1. New Beginnings

This is not meant to be a mockery or mindless copying of all of the Sonic school fics on this site. I only wanted to portray a more accurate view of college life, as experienced by the Sonic Gang. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the names, characters, or scenario portrayed within this fan fiction.

Author's Note: At certain times throughout the fic, you will find writing such as _Song_-Artist. This signifies a certain song which would be highly appropriate for the scene. To enhance the experience of reading this fic, I would recommend playing the song at the moment it appears, either on MP3 or CD. This is only optional, though.

And now, without further interruption, here's the fic!

"Gutha!!!" screamed the BioLizard, as it uttered its last breath, and then died. Though the monster was dead, however, the space colony ARK continued to plummet towards the planet.

"No way that's getting through!" yelled Sonic, as he and Shadow sped towards the deadly satellite, forming an energy barrier in front of them.

However, Shadow heard a familiar voice inside his head say, "Shadow, I beg of you…"

"Maria," he replied, slowing down for a second, but soon realizing that it was only a memory, he sped up again.

"Give them a chance… to be happy!" replied Maria's voice, and Shadow knew what he had to do.

"Now, Shadow!" yelled Sonic, as a yellow ball of pure energy formed between their outstretched hands. When they were near enough to the station, they both yelled, "Chaos Control!", and the station vanished, only to appear safely in the planet's orbit.

However, Shadow lost his grip and fell towards the planet. As he neared the planet's atmosphere, he thought, "This is what you wanted, right, Maria? This was my promise to you." Soon afterwards, he disappeared in a speck of light.

Inside the control room of ARK, the rest of the group watched the battle through the window. Finally, the door slid open behind them, revealing Sonic, standing alone. "Where is Shadow?" Rouge asked. Sonic shook his head, saying nothing; he just walked over and handed her a gold bracelet. "Do you think the Professor really created him to take revenge on all the people on Earth?"

Sonic thought for a minute, then replied, "He was what he was: a brave and heroic hedgehog who gave his life to save the planet. Shadow the Hedgehog."

At one window, Eggman was talking to Tails. "When I was a child, I looked up to my grandfather for all of the great things he accomplished in his life," he said. "He was my hero, and I wanted to be a great scientist just like him. But did he really want to destroy us all?"

Tails replied, rather naïvely, "I don't know, but what I do now is, we all did it together!"

At another window, Knuckles was talking with Rouge. "So what's next for you?" he asked. "Off to find those jewels you love so much?"

To this she replied, "Na, I think I'm going to leave this line of work. It's too much work for too little pay. Anyways, I'm thinking about something better than jewels right now." After an awkward moment, she continued. "It will all work out, you'll see."

To this, Knuckles replied, "If you say so."

At still another window, Sonic was lost in thought. "Was he really the ultimate life form?" he asked himself.

However, at that time, Amy Rose walked up and asked, "What's wrong, Sonic?"

At this, Sonic awoke from his reverie and replied, "Nothing much. Now, let's go back to the planet that's as cool and blue as me!" He stepped towards the door, but turned around, saying, "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."

_Blue on Black_-Kenny Wayne Shepherd

The group headed towards the space shuttle, Sonic carrying the Chaos Emeralds, Eggman and Tails in their respective walkers, and Knuckles and Rouge walking hand in hand.

As they entered the cockpit, Knuckles raised a finger and said, "Uh, Sonic, maybe I could…" to which everyone quickly replied, "No way!" Feeling a little dejected, he sat down with Rouge. Eggman took the pilot seat, and everyone buckled in. Soon afterwards, the shuttle took off for Earth.

(As the shuttle careens towards the Earth, the title fades in on empty space: _College Daze: Freshman Year_. It quickly fades out, as does the music.)

A couple of hours later, the shuttle landed on the airstrip of Station Square International Airport. The exit ladder was brought out, and the heroes emerged from the shuttle, to much fanfare and celebration. However, as soon as they reached solid ground, Eggman grabbed Amy and held his laser pistol to her head. A police squad immediately readied their weapons and barricades.

"Now, Sonic, give me the emeralds or I will kill Amy Rose," demanded the Eggman.

Shocked, Tails said, "I thought you had changed your ways! You acted so friendly towards me after Sonic defeated the BioLizard!"

Laughing, Eggman replied, "Foolish fox, it was all a facade! Did you really expect me to give up my dreams of an Eggman Empire, simply because I helped you stop the station from plummeting into the planet? No, I was only trying to preserve myself! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

As Eggman laughed, he raised his arms, lifting his gun and freeing Amy. This gave the police the chance they needed, and a rifleman fired a beanbag at the Eggman's stomach, causing him to collapse on the ground. An officer rushed to the fallen scientist, restraining him with a pair of handcuffs.

"Dr. Ivo Gerald Robotnik, you are under arrest for threats of terrorism, the kidnapping of innocent animals, trespassing on military property, and theft of the Chaos Emeralds," said the arresting officer. "You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you do not have an attorney, one will be provided…" At this moment, though, he was interrupted.

"Hey!" Sonic yelled. "The silver Chaos Emerald is missing!"

"You know what this means, boys," said the police chief, smirking. A few of the rookie officers chuckled. "Full-body cavity search," he finished. At these three words, Robotnik's eyes widened, and he started to resist. However, five officers barely managed to lift him into the police van, from which an ear-piercing alto scream was heard moments later.

A minute later, a swarm of television news reporters crowded the remaining heroes. The first reporter to reach Sonic shoved a microphone in Sonic's face and asked, "Sonic, now that you have saved the entire planet, what do you plan to do next?"

Sonic took the microphone, handing the Chaos Emeralds to a nearby officer, and replied, "I think it's time that we all took a nice, long vacation!" The rest of the group nodded their approval, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

A few days later, Sonic was lounging next to the pool of the Station Square Hotel, sipping on a Chaos Cola, when a busboy walked up to him and handed him a note. The busboy left, and Sonic opened the note, which read:

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but we must ask you to pay your bill. At the moment, your total comes to 1,659 rings. The hotel manager thanks you in advance for your quick payment."

Sonic crumpled up the note, tossed it into a nearby trash bin, and started to reach into his pockets. Only, he didn't have any pockets, being unclothed as he always was. Realizing his mistake, Sonic instead took off his left shoe and shook it, but only one rusty ring fell out onto the ground. Replacing the shoe, Sonic realized what he had to do: get a job.

That afternoon, Sonic was sitting in a very uncomfortable chair, which resided in a very hot and humid office. An oriental man was sitting in a dilapidated leather chair behind a cluttered card table. Sonic was sweating and nearly choking because of his necktie (which he wore without a shirt, of course), but the oriental man did not seem to care.

"So, you like to run, eh?" the oriental man asked, bits of sushi flying from his lips. "You run all day for me, yes? Pulling rickshaws is hard work! When will you be ready to start, eh?"

"Anytime, sir," Sonic said, brushing off a stray piece of raw fish from his face. "I need the money as soon as possible."

"You get money when I give it to you!" shouted the oriental man angrily. "Rickshaw is out back. You work now!"

Several exhausting hours later, Sonic stumbled into Tails' laboratory near the Mystic Ruins. Sweat was pouring down his face, and his knees were wobbling crazily. Hearing the door open and closed, Tails rolled out from under his prototype of the new Tornado.

"What happened to you, Sonic?" Tails asked, looking concerned.

"Work," Sonic gasped. "Running is great, but I'll tell you, pulling a cart holding two 250 lb. people is not. And it doesn't even pay well!" At this, Sonic pulled off his shoe and dumped out a total of 20 rings. "It really does stink, working for the man."

"But Sonic, why do you have to work?" asked Tails. "I thought you were taking a vacation."

"Yeah, I was, until I got my bill," replied Sonic, who had removed his other shoe and collapsed into a nearby armchair. "Hey Tails," Sonic asked, "this job really stinks. D' you think there's a better job out there? One that pays really well?"

Tails thought for a moment, and then replied, "Well, all of the high-paying jobs nowadays require a college education. As a matter of fact, I was just thinking about applying to a nearby college. Maybe you should apply too!"

The next day at noon, the whole gang was gathered around the table of a roadside café. Sonic had a plate piled high with Coney dogs and a 64 oz. drink, Amy was eating a chicken sandwich with an iced tea, Tails was chewing into a raw rabbit, Rouge had a plate covered in dead flies, and Knuckles was eating from an anthill filled with fire ants.

"So, I found a college that is willing to offer us a full ride without test scores," Sonic said through a mouthful of hot dog.

"Sounds good to me," Amy said. "Just as long as I'm with you, Sonic!"

"You know I'm in!" Tails said, blood dribbling down his chin.

"I could use some higher education," Rouge said, holding a horsefly as if it were a crumpet.

"Mmph ooh," said Knuckles, his long tongue stuck inside the anthill.

"It's settled then!" Sonic said triumphantly. "We're going to college!"

Please Review.

Next Chapter: Scheduling and Orientation!


	2. Scheduling and Orientation

The old red Chevy truck pulled alongside the road, its passengers jarring to the bumps in the gravel shoulder.  Tails and Rouge where sitting in the rusty truck bed, holding on for dear life, while Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles were strapped securely in the cab.  For some reason, Knuckles was driving.

"What do you think you're doing, Knucklehead?" Sonic asked irritably, rubbing his shoulder, which had just slammed against the passenger side door.  "Are you _trying to get us killed?"_

The echidna scratched his head, then calmly replied, "For your information, I needed directions.  Is it too much to ask for you to look at a map every once in a while?"

Grumbling, Sonic pulled out a tattered old map, unfolded it, and searched for their position.  After several minutes, he finally said, "It should be the next right, up ahead."  Sonic folded the map and put it in the glove box, which refused to shut.  Sonic tried to force it, and he not only succeeded in closing the compartment door, he also slammed his fingers in it.  "OUCH!  Geez, Knucklehead, where did you get this junker?"

"It was passed down through generations of echidnas," Knuckles replied, rather mystically.

*Flashback*

Tikal pulls into the Echidna city, driving a newer-looking version of the same truck.

"Where did you get that?" the echidna chief asks.

"I bought it from a dealer," she replies.  Seeing the look on her father's face, she quickly adds, "Don't worry, father, I got a really good deal on the loan!" 

*End Flashback*

"And that's why I'm still paying on it," finished Knuckles, as if he were actually telling them the story.

Meanwhile, the truck had just gotten out of the stream it was driving in, and finally drove back onto the road.  Knuckles stopped the truck right in front of a pair of gates, behind which stood a huge college campus.  A sign on the gates read:

-**U.S.U.C.K.**-

-**University**** of ****Standard**** Universal Collegiate Knowledge-**

As the Sonic Gang stared in amazement, the gates to the university opened wide.  Knuckles drove through, the passenger's side view mirror breaking off as it hit the gate.  As soon as he double-parked the truck, everyone jumped out onto the pavement.

"OK, next time, we run," Sonic exclaimed, casting an angry look at Knuckles.

Tails and Rouge, who did not have the luxury of seatbelts or windows, were covered in mud and dust, their fur ruffled badly.

"Eww, I'm all dirty!" moaned Rouge, trying to straighten her fur.  "Hey Knuckles, why did Sonic and Amy get to sit up there with you?  Don't you love me?"

"I think so," Knuckles said looking confused.  "Actually, I don't even know why I let them sit up front.  Maybe it was destiny or something."

"Well, I'm going to have to find a place to shower here," she said, looking POed.

However, before they could start their search, a young man with a buzz cut and an addictive smile jogged up to them.  "Hi," he said, "I'm Guy Davis!  You must be here for the orientation.  It's going to be fun!  We have snacks!  Come on!"

"Excuse me," Rouge said politely, "but I need to clean up first.  Can you show me where the showers are?"

Guy frowned and said, "I'm sorry, but the showers here are meant only for the students living in the dorms."

At this, Rouge grabbed the peppy boy's collar and brought his face within an inch of her own.  "Listen," she said, rather darkly, "I'm covered in mud and I am **very angry right now.  I know jujitsu, and if you don't show me the way to a shower, I will put you through so much pain that you will be ****screaming for YOUR MOMMY!!"**

Shaking, Guy replied, "R-right this way, ma'am."  Quickly, he led her to the showers.

Realizing that he was also covered in mud, Tails said nothing.  Instead, seeing a fountain in the distance, he ran towards that and jumped in.  Once he was clean enough, he jumped out and did a spin dash on the sidewalk, drying himself off.

"Weird," Sonic said.

The gang headed for the dorms to find Rouge, hoping that she was almost done.  They were walking down a hall, when Knuckles started to feel a tingling in his bladder.  "Uh, I need to use the little boy's room," said Knuckles, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I think I saw a sign back there," said Amy, pointing at a sign a few halls back.

"Thanks," said Knuckles, and he quickly ran off in that direction.  He found the Men's Room, and, entering, proceeded to use a toilet.  He could hear water running somewhere, but he couldn't tell what it was.  Only when he was washing his hands did he see the two boys crouching next to the wall.

"Whoa, look at that rack!" exclaimed one boy, who was obviously looking through a hole in the wall.

"Yeah, it's a nice rack!" said the second boy, who was looking through another hole.

Alarmed, Knuckles pulled the second boy away from the wall and peeked through the hole.  Indeed, he saw a well-made wooden rack, which held a number of folded towels.

"Oh my goodness," the first boy exclaimed, "those are the biggest set of knockers I've ever seen!"

Knuckles pulled the first boy back and looked through the hole, then immediately stood up and turned around.  "That's my girlfriend in there," he said.

"Yeah, what are you gonna do about it, punk?" the first boy asked menacingly.

Knuckles growled, showing his teeth, and then banged his knuckles together like he always does.  A look of panic spread across the boys' faces, and they ran from the bathroom, screaming like girls.

As Knuckles was leaving the bathroom, Rouge was walking out of the shower.  "What was that screaming about?" she asked, concerned.

"Oh, nothing," Knuckles lied.  "I guess somebody gave Guy a wedgie or something."  They laughed at that, and then walked down the hall to find the others.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Soon afterwards, the gang was settled into a large gathering of enrolled students out on the quad.  The seats were uncomfortable and too close together, and the afternoon air was hot and muggy.  The students had been murmuring to each other, but the murmuring had suddenly died down.  The reason for this was the middle-aged woman who was standing behind a wooden podium.

"Good afternoon," the woman said, "and welcome to the University of Standard Universal Collegiate Knowledge.  I am the school's dean, Dr. Leslie Tuttle.  We here at U.S.U.C.K. are thrilled to see all of your bright young faces here this day."  At this, she nodded to a group of professors sitting to her right, the students' left.  She continued, "The quest for knowledge is a great adventure…"

'I love adventure!' thought Sonic.

"But it is also a lot of hard and arduous work," Dr. Tuttle continued.

'Crap!' thought Sonic.

"The rewards for your hard work are worth it, though," continued Dr. Tuttle.  "By the time you graduate, you will have matured into educated men and women, capable of taking on the world.  The gift of knowledge can open many doors for you, and the memories you share here will always be a part of your lives.  So in closing, I say, work hard, and enjoy your U.S.U.C.K. experience!"

As she left the stage, the students erupted into applause.  Immediately, Guy walked up to the podium and adjusted the microphone.  "Well," he said, his voice bright and peppy, "now that that's over with, we can get ready for the tour!"  And then, Rouge thought she heard him mutter, barely audible and in a much darker voice, "Rouge, I will kill you slowly and painfully."  "Okay then!" he said, his voice once again peppy.  "Everyone, follow your assigned leaders!"  At this, a group of student volunteers stood up, and each walked to the end of a row of seats.

As they stood up, Rouge whispered to Knuckles, "That Guy creeps me out."

Knuckles shook his head and whispered back, "That's ridiculous.  He's just got a lot of spirit, that's all."

At this, Rouge thought, 'He's possessed by some kind of spirit, that's for sure.'

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

After the tour, Sonic's group entered the hall of a great building, which was full of lecture halls.  The door to one of the lecture halls was ajar.

"Now, those of you who have registered to take foreign language placement tests, please proceed into this room and find a seat," the tour guide instructed.  At this, a few students entered the room, Tails, Rouge and Amy included.  Once they left the hall and the door was shut tight, the guide instructed them to enter another room down the hall.

Sonic and Knuckles followed the group into the room the guide pointed them to, and were shocked by what they saw.  Rows of tables were stacked high with food, from pizza to coney dogs to cookies, pies, and cakes.  A skateboard arena was set up near the front of the room, and live entertainment was provided on a stage in front of the blackboard.

After eating to their hearts' content, the students heard the door open.  The tour guide walked in and, rather threateningly, told them, "Tell no one of this.  We were not supposed to do this for you, but we did it anyway.  If you mention anything…" she ran her throat across her neck.  Then she clapped her hands, and everything in the room vanished.

"This place keeps getting weirder and weirder," Sonic whispered to Knuckles.

As they exited into the hall, those who had been taking the test were leaving their room.  Unexpectedly, Tails, Rouge and Amy were positively beaming.

"So, do you think you did well?" Sonic asked.

"Sí, perfecto," they replied unanimously.  Then, realizing his mistake, Tails adjusted his Palm Pilot.  They spoke again, this time saying, "Yes, perfect!"

"But how?" Sonic asked.  "I never knew that you took Spanish."

"We haven't," Tails replied.  "I just adjusted the language setting on the options menu!"

At this, Sonic and Knuckles both slapped their foreheads.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The next thing that the incoming students did was to schedule their classes for their autumn quarter.  They did this in small groups, in small rooms in a small building.  After their counselors explained the procedure for scheduling, the students puzzled through master schedules, searching for the classes they felt they needed.  Afterwards, they were told that they were free to explore the campus, or to leave.

"What did you schedule?"  Sonic asked Amy, as they were walking towards Knuckles' truck.

"I have a hospitality class, a chemistry class, orchestra, and an orientation class," she answered.  "How about you?"

"I have chemistry, algebra, psychology, and an orientation class," he replied.

"Ooh," she exclaimed, "we have two classes together!  Maybe I could sit by you!"

"Maybe," Sonic said, shaking his head.

Elsewhere, Knuckles and Rouge were walking together.

"Knuckles," Rouge asked, "what classes did you schedule?"

"I've got chemistry, psychology, geology, and some stupid orientation class," he replied.  "And you?"

"I'm in chemistry, geology, pre-calculus, and an orientation class," she said.

Eventually, they met up with Sonic and Amy, and a couple of minutes later, Tails caught up to them.

"Hey, Tails," Sonic asked, "what classes did you schedule?"

"Well," replied the fox, "I'm taking chemistry, advanced physics, psychology, and orientation.  What are you all taking?"

They quickly related their respective schedules, and after a few minutes, they realized that they were all taking chemistry and orientation together.

"You know," Sonic said, stopping momentarily, "I think this is going to be the greatest adventure of our lives!"

Everyone agreed, and they all climbed into the truck, Sonic and Tails in the back this time.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Hope you liked it.  Oh, and the disclaimer is in the first chapter, I won't be reprinting it.

Next Chapter: Party!


	3. Pizza and Pain

"Look, Sonic, it says cute couples get in free!" Amy said, pointing at the computer screen floating near the entrance to Twinkle Park.

"No," said Sonic, looking exasperated, "it says, 'College freshmen get in free, tonight only."

"Well, we're both!" she said excitedly.  "That means we can get in double free!"

Sonic slapped his forehead, shaking his head in exasperation.  It was their last night before they moved onto campus, and Sonic and the gang had decided to enjoy it by partying late.  At the moment, the other animals were standing behind Sonic and Amy, waiting to enter the park.  Knuckles was tapping his foot, his arm around Rouge's shoulder.  Tails was jumping up and down with excitement.

"Come on, Amy," Sonic said, "the others are waiting for us to go."

Everyone entered the glass tube, and the doors closed.  They were elevated into the tunnel leading to the park, and they walked into the lobby.

"Sonic, let's race!" Amy said, pointing to the door straight ahead.

"What the hey," Sonic said, as he and Amy entered the door.

"I'm gonna race too!" Tails said, as he ran after Sonic.

"Let's go watch," Knuckles suggested, leading Rouge through the other door.

_~Free Ride_-Audio Adrenaline~__

Amy, Sonic and Tails all climbed into their bumper cars.  Five other racers were already lined up, ready to race.  One was a mysterious racer, dressed in black leather and wearing a black helmet.  A traffic light lowered over the starting line, the red light lit.  A voice over the loudspeaker boomed, "Ready, Set…" and as it said go, the light changed from red to green.  The racers set off at the amazing rate of … 10 km/hr!

Rouge, who was sitting in the stands, snored loudly, as Knuckles placed a tape recorder near her face, grinning widely.

Meanwhile, the racers had finally collected some rings, and they were racing at a moderately quick speed.  Sonic was in the lead, followed closely by Tails, as always.  Amy was five cars back, sputtering along at 12 km/hr, as she had only collected one ring.  Her expression was less than cheerful.

Sonic reached the first jump, grabbing a ring container along the way. Tails flew easily across the gap, aided by his rapidly spinning twin tails.  He took the lead for a second, but immediately smashed into the wall.  Once he was finally back up to speed (20 seconds later), he was in last place.  Amy on the other hand, had used her Piko-Piko Hammer to nab a 20-ring box, and was now moving up the field rapidly.  Unfortunately, she couldn't catch Sonic, who by now was traveling at 120 km/hr and was starting his second lap.

Surprisingly, Tails was now back in the race, and was closely tailing Amy.  Suddenly, a human racer sped ahead of both of them, but he soon ran into the wall, blocking the road.  Tails was able to dodge the car, but Amy was not so lucky.  She soon found herself stuck in a crowd which, including her car, was comprised of five cars.  Just then, Sonic soared overhead, propelled by the ramp he had just sped over at 200 km/hr.  Amy brought her head down on the steering wheel, causing the horn to sound.  Seconds later, the driver in black also soared overhead.

Now it was just Sonic and the mysterious driver, racing for glory.  The racer was narrowly trailing Sonic by only a few meters.  They were both on their third and final lap, speeding at close to 300 km/hr.  They turned a curve and found themselves in the final stretch.  The black racer attempted to pass Sonic on the right side, but Sonic anticipated this, running the racer's car into the wall.  However, Sonic soon found his own car slowing down.  Looking to his right, he saw that the racer was right beside him, holding on to Sonic's car.  Thinking quickly, Sonic applied the brakes, bringing his car towards the rear of the racer's.  The black racer, thinking that he was in the clear, slammed his foot on the accelerator.  To his dismay, he found that his car would not go above 10 km/hr!  Just then, Sonic zoomed pass, waving at the black racer.  Only seconds later, Sonic finished the race.  Wondering what was going on, the racer looked at his ring display to find that it read 0.  The race was over.

Sonic took 1st place, with a total of 285 rings.  Tails was 2nd, with a total of 175 rings, and Amy had come in 5th, with a total of 60 rings.

(_Free Ride fades out_)

As Sonic stepped out of the car, Rouge came rushing forward.  "Good job, Sonic!" she said.  Then, facing the crowd, she exclaimed, "Hail to Sonic, Lord of the Rings!"

"There is only one Lord of the Rings, and he doesn't share power," Knuckles said mysteriously.

"What in the world are you talking about, Knucklehead?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, nothing," was Knuckles' reply.  "Hey, how about we go grab some grub?" he suggested.  "I'm starving."

Everyone nodded their assent, and they all headed for the castle courtyard, where a buffet had been set up.  The courtyard was filled with college freshmen, all dancing to rave music.

"This is a great party!" Amy shouted, walking up beside Sonic.  "Come on, let's dance!"

"Well, I-," Sonic began, but he didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as Amy pulled him into the crowd of dancing bodies.  Looking back at the others, Sonic mouthed the words "Help me."

Knuckles and Rouge headed over to the buffet, which was filled with pizza, chilidogs, and other college food.  They were gathering their food, when they heard a familiar voice.

"So he said, I don't care what I wear, as long as it's comfortable.  But I said, if he doesn't clean himself up and wear something fashionable, then we were through.  And then do you know what he did?"

Rouge looked over to find that the speaker was none other than Guy Davis, wearing a robin's egg blue sweater vest over an off-pink shirt, and pleated khakis.  Suddenly, he turned and looked at Rouge, a look of malice spread across his face.  Rouge turned her head away immediately.

"It's that Guy," Rouge whispered to Knuckles.  "He just shot me the evil eye!"

"Are you sure he wasn't just smiling at you?" Knuckles asked.  "You are quite beautiful, you know."

"Thank you," Rouge said, blushing. "I don't think that he's the type of guy that would smile at a girl, though, if you know what I mean."

Knuckles stifled a laugh, and they continued down the buffet.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

Sonic and Amy had left the throng of dancing teenagers, and found themselves sitting on the ground beside the fishpond.

"Sonic," Amy asked timidly, "are we friends?"

"Yeah, I guess," Sonic replied, slightly embarrassed.

"I was wondering," Amy said after a pause, "do you think we could ever be… more than friends?"

"Amy," Sonic said gently, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I could love you.  My speed is a little too fast for you, and I'm afraid you'll never be able to keep up with me.  I will always be your hero, but I can't be your boyfriend."

Sonic could almost hear Amy's heart breaking.  She had loved him ever since he had first saved her from the clutches of Robotnik, but he had never shown any sign of returning that love.  She must have known that his refusal was inevitable, but she broke down nonetheless.  Sonic offered her his shoulder, and she sobbed heavily into it.

"I'm sorry, Amy," Sonic said consolingly, rubbing Amy's back softly.  "It just wouldn't work out."

"I'll be okay," she said over her sobs.  "Please, just leave me alone right now," she said, pushing him gently away.

Sonic stood up, and with a last look at the pink hedgehog, he walked away.  Amy dried her tears and sat there, sniffling.  At that moment, a large blue cat in rubber boots and a fishing belt, carrying a fishing rod, walked up beside Amy and sat down.

"Hi, Mr. Cat," Amy said, trying to sound cheerful.  "I'm Amy Rose.  What's your name?"

"My name's Big the Cat," he replied.  "Me an my buddy Froggy are going to college this year.  That reminds me, have you seen my friend Froggy?"

"No, I'm sorry,"  she said.  "It seems that a lot of people are leaving their friends tonight."

~.~.~.~.~.~.

Sonic walked up to Tails, who was standing next to the buffet table.  "Hey, what's up?" Sonic asked.

"Well," said Tails, "I'm starving, but they don't have any of the food I like.  Hey, where's the raw meat!?"

"Tails," Sonic explained, covering Tail's mouth, "these people aren't accustomed to seeing an intelligent fox with two tails tearing into a freshly killed, uncooked rabbit.  I'm afraid you're going to have to adapt.  Here, try a piece of pizza."  With that, Sonic handed Tails a piece of pizza.

Tails sniffed the slice of pie, and then took a small bite.  His eyes went wide, and he scarfed down the rest of the slice in one bite.  He then jumped onto the table and started gobbling up as much pizza as he could get his paws on.

"Whoa, Tails, slow down," Sonic said as he reached for Tails' shoulder.

Tails recoiled from Sonic's outstretched hand.  "It's mine, all mine!" Tails said, a crazed look on his face.  "You want it for yourself!  Why shouldn't I have it?  It came to me!  It's mine, my own, my precious!"

"Tails, get a hold of yourself!" Sonic shouted.

"He's trying to take it from us, the nasty, thieving Sonicsess," Tails said, as if to himself.  "Well, we're not gonna letss him have it, are we, preciouss?  _Gollum_!"

Not knowing what to do, Sonic jumped in the air and performed a homing attack on the crazed mutant fox.  Tails immediately came back to himself.

"Oh, I don't know what came over me," Tails said, as if just waking up.  "Thanks, Sonic.  I was under the complete control of the pizza."

"So," Sonic said, "are you going to change your eating habits, Tails?  You're not going to eat raw meat?"

"No, I guess not," Tails replied.  "Not as long as I have… pizza, my precious…"

"I think you've had enough pizza tonight," Sonic said, pulling Tails away from the table.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

Rouge was in the ladies' room, washing her hands (her elbow-length gloves were stuffed in her bodice).  Suddenly, a face full of evil appeared in the mirror, and Rouge screamed.  Guy was standing behind her, his hands on Rouge's waist.

"What do you want?" Rouge asked, spinning around.

"I think you know what I want," Guy replied, his grin widening.  "I want your body… or your blood."

"Yeah, well you're getting neither," Rouge said, as she brought her boot into contact with his face, knocking him down onto one knee.

Guy got up, wiping the blood from his cut lip.  "Good, I like a challenge," he said, getting into a fighting pose.

Guy suddenly rushed at Rouge, bringing his fist forward in a powerful jab.  Rouge ducked and brought a knee up into Guy's stomach, causing him to double over in pain.  She then spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick, throwing him into an open stall.  At just that moment, Knuckles rushed into the bathroom.

"What are you doing in here?!" Rouge asked Knuckles, horrified.

"I heard you scream, and I thought you were in trouble," the echidna explained.  "What's going on?  And why is he in here?" Knuckles asked, pointing at Guy, who was sitting on the toilet.

"He wanted to rape me and kill me!" Rouge asked.  "He snuck up behind me, but I kicked him into that stall!"

"Is that what happened?" Knuckles threateningly asked Guy.

"No," Guy replied hysterically, "sh-she dragged me in here and started beating up on me, j-just because I smiled at her!"

"Rouge, please just try to be friendly from now on," Knuckles said, as if scolding a child.  "You're becoming paranoid over Guy, who just wants to be friends."

"Oh, so you're going to side with him!" Rouge shouted, pointing at Guy.  "I'm telling you, HE WANTS ME DEAD!!!"

"Rouge, you're temper has been out of control ever since we met him!" Knuckles shouted back.  "Do you think your anger is clouding your perception?  Remember, anger leads to hate, and hate… leads to _suffering_."

"Maybe you're right, Knuckles," Rouge said, trying to control her breathing, which had been getting heavy.

"Good," Knuckles said.  "Now, let's get back to the party."  With that, he left the restroom.

Rouge also turned to leave, but she swore she heard Guy's voice say, "He won't always be there to protect you.  And when you're all alone, you will be mine."  Rouge shook her head and left the bathroom.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

The party lasted until after midnight, and afterward Sonic and the gang decided to head back to the hotel and get some sleep.  They woke up early the next morning to pack their things and get ready to move into their dorms.

After a hasty breakfast, Knuckles, Rouge and Amy piled into Knuckles' truck, while Sonic and Tails had decided to run.  Soon, they found themselves on the campus of U.S.U.C.K., and they congregated around the dorm building.  However, Knuckles and Rouge remained in the truck.

"Aren't you going to get out and go up to your dorms?" Tails asked innocently.

"We're not staying in the dorms," Rouge explained.  "We're renting an apartment off-campus."

"Hey Knuckles," Sonic said, "that means you won't be eating out as much."

"What?!" Knuckles exclaimed, very embarrassed.

"Yeah," Sonic continued, "I'll probably be eating out every night!"

"Me too!" Tails piped in.

"Same here!" Amy said, grinning stupidly.  "I love tuna!"

Knuckles and Rouge raised an eyebrow at this.

Seeing that they were obviously confused, Sonic explained, "You'll have a kitchen, so Rouge will be able to cook some nights."

"Oh, yeah, of course," Knuckles replied, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Well, see ya!" Sonic, Tails and Amy said, waving at Knuckles and Rouge as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Let's go up to our dorms," Sonic suggested.  And that's just what they did.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

Sonic and Tails opened the door and entered the dormitory.  Immediately, they stepped back out into the hall.

"Is that supposed to be a dorm, or a broom closet?" Sonic asked rhetorically.

"I get the top bunk!" Tails shouted, running back into the room.

"Wha-hey! I was going to call the top bunk!" Sonic shouted, running into the room and shutting the door.

Meanwhile, Amy had also found her dorm.  However, unlike the boys' dorms, the ladies' dorms were much more spacious.  Amy's room was designed like a small studio apartment, complete with bay windows, flowered wallpaper and even a kitchenette with a minifridge.  Amy dropped here bag and fell on her futon, overcome with happiness.

~.~.~.~.~.~.

Meanwhile, in a high security prison, all of the prisoners were sitting at long tables in the cafeteria.

"What's for breakfast?" one of the inmates asked another.

"I think I heard the guard say they were making scrambled eggs," the other inmate replied.

"Did someone say eggs?" a very familiar voice shouted.  Immediately, Dr. Robotnik jumped onto the table and started singing and dancing.

"I love eggs, from my head down to my legs!" the overweight scientist sang.  "The Incredible, Edible Egg!"

"Hey, quiet!" shouted a nearby guard, who started beating Robotnik with his nightstick.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Well, the Sonic gang has settled into college life.  Next chapter: Classes Start!


End file.
